taking action

Update on H.R. 9495 + busted concrete

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

Good news, people! Here’s the update on last week’s post Defend Dissent: oppose H.R. 9495: 

Last night, the Republicans tried to ram the legislation through via suspension of the rules (which, if I’m understanding correctly, was related to them not having a quorum) and that required 2/3 of the vote. THEY FAILED! By 9 votes. That’s the good news. The bad news is that 52 Democrats voted YES on enabling the crushing of dissent. Shameful. Here’s the list of those Dems:

If your Rep voted YES, please call/email to shame them for that! Many of these Dems spent the election cycle wringing their hands over impending threats to democracy and then voted for fascism. If your Rep voted NO, please call/email to thank them for that vote! (Go here for full tally of votes.) Right after the vote, I called mine (Brittany Pettersen)–whom I’d emailed plus called three times on this issue in an attempt to get her on the record–and left a message thanking her for doing the right thing. She’s a horrible, AIPAC-devoted representative, but I give credit where it’s due. I was fully prepared for her to vote in favor of the legislation and believe she must’ve heard from many constituents on this.

In case you’re interested in more background on this legislation, here’s Rep Lloyd Doggett on the House floor last night pointing out the cynicism of attaching this harmful legislation to legitimate legislation that would provide tax relief to U.S. citizens who’d been held hostage in other countries. By the way, Doggett led the charge on defeating this bill and we owe him a huge debt.

This is a win, but this legislation will be back and we must rally to defeat it every time they bring it up. Solidarity!

And now for domestic news: we’re finally replacing our driveway and walkways that are the original concrete from when this house was built in 1965.

No lie, we had the ugliest, most pitted driveway in the neighborhood. We didn’t mind, except for the jolt of pain each time the snow shovel got caught in a crack. We’ve lived with it for many years and now will have joyful snow-shoveling experiences! Bonus? I don’t feel too guilty about adding more to the landfill since we got nearly 60 years of use out of the driveway and walkways.

Who knew concrete could bring such happiness?

We are not alone and we are not powerless

/ Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

My inbox is filled with messages from various organizations and organizers, reaching out to make sure people know they’re not alone and that there’s a path forward. I’ve collected much good stuff here and hope that when you have the energy and focus, you’ll read through it all. Or, maybe do as I am today, read in little spurts.

The piece I’ve seen shared the most online was written two days ago by Daniel Hunter, 10 ways to be prepared and grounded now that Trump has won (title updated today), and is chock-full of wisdom and links, along with roles we all might play in defense of our shared humanity. If nothing else, I hope you check that one out. The subtitle alone contains an important reminder: The key to taking effective action in a Trump world is to avoid perpetuating the autocrat’s goals of fear, isolation, exhaustion and disorientation.

Final harvest of delicata squash that made a surprise appearance in Zippy’s garden. Photo 11.2.24

Jewish Voice for Peace wrote: The world feels impossible, unbearable. There is lots to say about why we are here, and even more to say about how we keep fighting. But in this moment, I want us to remember that we have one another. And with what we are up against, we will need each other more than ever. 

We come from generations of resistance, of defying the impossible cruelty of societies built on domination. The Right fuels itself on our isolation and rose to power on a politics of despair. The antidote, as always, is organizing. Our power lies in our commitment to one another and in our solidarity. We will not allow our communities to be turned against one another or scapegoated. We refuse to be divided.

Organizer Kelly Hayes wrote: We’re going to show up for each other, figure out what we need to learn, skill up, and fight for each other. Because we’re gonna have to. Let’s ground ourselves in our values and our refusal to abandon one another. Remember who you want to be, come what may, and move in the direction of your values. I wrote a book with Mariame Kaba (Let This Radicalize You) about the kind of work that’s ahead of us. It’s there for you if you need it. No matter what happens next, let’s get our learn on and think strategically about the work of collective survival. Isolation incubates fear. Together, we will foster courage and solidarity, and we will fight for each other. I am sending you all so much love right now. Let’s sidestep the kind of squabbling and finger-pointing that will only slow us down and talk about what we need to do and build together. We don’t have time for acrimony. If acknowledging that is a challenge for you, ask yourself what the whole world is worth and engage accordingly.

Kelly’s email included a link to her Movement Memos podcast To Transform Our Trauma, We Must Nurture Movements for Change (transcript included).

Earthjustice wrote Earthjustice is bigger and stronger than we were in January 2017, and we are ready to fight back. We took the threat of Trump’s Project 2025 plan at its word, and we crafted a blueprint of our own. We have over 200 lawyers poised to take Trump to court, and we are already executing our state-based strategy to ensure that he does not block progress in the last years we have left to meet our climate deadlines. Earthjustice won a staggering 85% of the cases we brought against the previous Trump administration. 

Earthjustice is raising money for its Rapid Response Legal Fund and now through December 31, donations will be matched $1 : $1.

I will close with words from Sarah Kendzior, written in 2016:

“Do not accept brutality and cruelty as normal even if it is sanctioned. Protect the vulnerable and encourage the afraid. If you are brave, stand up for others. If you cannot be brave — and it is often hard to be brave — be kind.”

Sunday Confessional: tired of making signs

/ Tracy Abell / 9 Comments

There’s a collection of signage in my home. Signs that family members and I carried at marches against G.W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq. The non-mobile Iraq death toll sign we created on a piece of countertop, the one chained around the honey locust tree in our front yard for years and years following the invasion and occupation. Signs urging my so-called representatives to go big on climate policy. Signs against fracking. Signs in support of a Green New Deal. Lest you think I’m incapable of throwing anything away, I no longer have my sign from the May 1987 march in San Francisco that shouted U.S. OUT OF EL SALVADOR or the signs protesting Bush Sr.’s bombing of Iraq in the early 90s. I do, however, have a bag filled with clean, blank cardboard just waiting to be made into other signs.

Why? After all, none of those things I marched in opposition to were stopped. None of those policies I marched in support of have been enacted. So why do I continue to make signs and take to the streets? Because it helps me feel less alone. Because chanting in unison with others helps release anger and frustration. Because silence feels like complicity.

Today I made another sign for my front yard: ARMS EMBARGO NOW. I’ve been meaning to do so for months and finally summoned the energy today.

The CEASEFIRE sign has been in the yard for over a year now. There are layers of packing tape holding the vinyl letters in place and today I added more to extend the sign’s life since the two major candidates share the same goal to not only continue the onslaught on Gaza, but to extend it to the surrounding region. When I made that sign a year ago, I had no idea this nightmare would continue as long as it has. Silly me. I’m old enough to remember Joe Biden’s four decades of war-mongering. The man has never not chosen violence and destruction. And Kamala Harris, booed yesterday at a rally in Michigan (a swing state) for her unwavering support for genocide, cares more about enabling Israel than winning the election.

We’ll see if the liberals who got mad about missing brunch after Clinton lost in 2016 will return to the streets this time around. No matter what happens on November 5, I know where I’ll be. Holding a handmade sign and shouting my outrage.

Literary institutions to authors: don’t speak of Gaza

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

Earlier this week, I highlighted how anti-Zionists in the Jewish community are being  targeted by Jewish institutions, schools and synagogues, for expressing solidarity with Palestinians. It’s a heartbreaking situation that has fractured communities and led to feelings of pain and isolation for those bravely speaking out on behalf of our shared humanity. Unfortunately, that’s not the only community being torn apart over Zionism.

Writers are also facing the same kinds of pressure from literary institutions. Yesterday, Truthout published the following from author Lisa Ko: “Literary Institutions Are Pressuring Authors to Remain Silent About Gaza.” The article begins with this (emphasis mine):

When writer and disability justice activist Alice Wong received a MacArthur Fellowship earlier this month, she shared a statement about accepting it “amidst the genocide happening in Gaza.” The backlash was swift, with a deluge of posts on X attacking Wong’s character and accusing her of antisemitism.

This conflation of opposition to Israel’s military action with hatred of Jewish people is only one part of a broader wave of political and social repression that is attempting to silence writers speaking out against the war. In the past month alone, authors who have criticized Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza — which is funded largely by the U.S. — have been labeled extremists, been suspended and fired from faculty jobs, and targets of defamation and harassment.

Ko goes on to detail how she received death and rape threats as a result of her expressing concern for the safety of a Muslim woman scheduled to be on an upcoming  Writers Institute festival panel with Ko. However, Writers Institute isn’t the only institution pressuring writers to remain silent in the face of genocide. PEN America holds this mission statement — “PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide” — and yet feels comfortable pressuring authors to keep their mouths shut in order to be eligible for literary prizes.

A culture that demands certain political allegiances from its writers and artists at the risk of losing career opportunities is one that is antithetical to democratic values, and harkens back to the McCarthy-era Hollywood blacklist that barred writers from employment on suspicions of “subversive” and “un-American” leanings. 

I write for young readers and for many, many years belonged to and volunteered for the largest international organization dedicated to children’s writing and illustration: Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). I cancelled my membership several years ago because of how SCBWI treated a Palestinian woman who questioned SCBWI’s one-sided support for Israel following an attack on Gaza. I’ve never regretted that move, especially since SCBWI, which exists purely on behalf of creators for children, remains silent in the face of a genocide in which children are being shot in the head by snipers. I now belong to Story Sunbirds: a kidlit collective of authors and illustrators who stand up for children with all our hearts. I feel much more comfortable in that community.

Reading Ko’s article made me incredibly sad. Institutions that supposedly exist to uplift voices and create stronger bonds between humans all around the globe are instead using coercion and threats to keep people from speaking out on behalf of fellow humans. Please take a few minutes to read the article: “Literary Institutions Are Pressuring Authors to Remain Silent About Gaza.”

We can’t stop talking about Palestine.

Climate change: we’re the cause but we can also be the solution

/ Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

It’s a Wednesday, but I’m offering what would usually be a Climate Movement Monday post because the synchronicity of the two elements contained here was just too perfect to pass up. Below, I offer information on hurricanes and then a quick action.

As Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida while millions struggle to recover from Helene (mutual aid links here), I received two connected emails. The first, from HEATED which is billed as “a newsletter for people who are pissed off about the climate crisis,” was their latest article titled “How fossil fuels mutated Milton: Climate scientists tell HEATED the historic storm represents “the profound irresponsibility and culpability” of polluters.”

I highly recommend reading the entire piece which begins: For scientists who study the effects of climate change, the scariest thing about Hurricane Milton is not simply its historic strength. It’s the fact that Milton grew so strong so quickly—mutating from a pipsqueak into a monster. 

screen grab from a news broadcast

Milton’s rapid intensification from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane left meteorologists speechless, with one veteran NBC6 Miami scientist tearing up on air. On X, hurricane scientists described Milton’s sudden explosion as “unprecedented,” “terrifying,” and “jaw-dropping,” as the storm’s wind speeds grew from 60 mph to over 180 mph in only 36 hours—one of the fastest intensifications on record.

A similarly rapid hurricane intensification happened just weeks earlier with Hurricane Helene, which transformed from a relatively weak tropical storm into a historic Category 4 hurricane within two days.

The article goes on to quote climate scientist Michael Mann who points the finger at the fossil fuel industry which is responsible for 76 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. “ExxonMobil’s own scientists warned that continued fossil fuel burning would lead to “potentially catastrophic events,” Mann said. That those catastrophes are playing out today represents “the profound irresponsibility and culpability of a fossil fuel industry that knowingly hid evidence of the tremendous danger of their product—not just danger to individuals … but danger to humanity and the planet. A whole higher category of crime.”

The article continues, including an explanation of how warmer sea temperatures contribute to the strength and size of tropical storms. Then the article ends with this quote from hurricane scientist Andra Garner (emphasis mine):

“The bad news here is that we know that human-caused climate change is driving these kinds of extremes to be more deadly,” said Garner. “But the good news is that we are the cause, and so we can also be the solution.”

That bears repeating: We are the cause of climate change which means we can also be the solution.

Right after reading that HEATED article, I returned to my inbox to find an email from Stand.earth. That email opened with: “Exciting news! Late last month, Philadelphia, PA, became the latest city to join the growing chorus of municipal and sub-national governments to officially call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Not only is Philadelphia one of the largest cities in North America, it’s also located in Pennsylvania, a state dominated by fracking. It’s proof that our movement is even reaching areas where the fossil fuel industry is most powerful.”

The email then offers a link to send a message to your local city council, asking for them to call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. What are the principles of such a treaty?

  1. Non-proliferation: Stop building out the problem by ending the expansion of coal, oil and gas production
  2. A fair phase-out: An equitable plan for the wind down of existing fossil fuel production, where nations with the capacity and historical responsibility for emissions transition fastest, providing support to others around the world
  3. Just transition: Fast-track the adoption of renewable energy and economic diversification away from fossil fuels so that no worker, community or country is left behind

Please take a minute to urge your city to join the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and start working on the just transition in your community.

It was SO easy to send a message to all my city council members and mayor. I personalized (and shortened) the letter to make my point which I must say felt extra personal since one of those council members lives right down the street from me. We’ve seen horrific climate policy on the federal level and the Democrat’s presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, now contradicts her earlier campaign vow to ban fracking, but local communities offer a greater chance for citizens to make an impact. Please take a moment to reach out to your city council to let them know how you feel about the role of fossil fuels in these catastrophic hurricanes which are destroying lives and property.

Thank you for reading this far! I appreciate you being here. Solidarity! ✊🏾

Updated mutual aid links (Helene)

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

Yesterday I shared links to lists of mutual aid groups that are helping in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Those lists are a bit unwieldy to navigate so I wanted to update with this great list put together by Appalachian Voices and 7 Directions of Service.

Thank you in advance for any help you can offer!
General

Climate Movement Monday: mutual aid after Hurricane Helene

/ Tracy Abell / 13 Comments

EDITED WITH UPDATE: Please see my 10.1.24 post with easy-to-navigate lists of mutual aid groups!

Welcome back to another Movement Monday in which we discuss all things climate with a focus on frontline communities. In order to protect my health, I’ve been on a  self-imposed media break from the many horrors of our current reality (and I acknowledge my privilege in being able to avoid those horrors!), so don’t have any new insights into the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. I will, however, share this from Bill McKibben’s newsletter which I did read:

Were it happening just in one place, a compassionate world could figure out how to offer effective relief. But it’s happening in so many places. The same day that Helene slammed into the Gulf, Hurricane John crashed into the Mexican state of Guerrero, dropping nearly 40 inches of rain and causing deadly and devastating floods in many places including Acapulco, which is still a shambles from Hurricane Otis last year. In Nepal this afternoon at least 148 people are dead and many still missing in the Kathmandu Valley. Just this month, as one comprehensive twitter thread documented, we’ve seen massive flooding in Turkey, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Marseilles, Milan, India, Wales, Guatemala, Morocco, Algeria, Vietnam, Croatia, Nigeria, Thailand, Greece, Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, with the Danube hitting new heights across Central Europe. 

Make no mistake, we are in climate collapse. And yet, the powers-that-be still pretend it’s not happening. Last week, Zippy received an email survey from one of Colorado’s senators (Michael Bennet), asking Zippy to name his priority issues. That survey did NOT even include climate (or Gaza or Lebanon and the corresponding billions of dollars and weapons to Israel). Clearly, the electeds are completely happy to drive humanity to extinction.

Which is why today’s post is devoted to mutual aid groups working on the ground to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene.  Also, with some overlap, here’s another mutual aid list. What is mutual aid? Per Global Giving: Mutual aid is about cooperating to serve community members. Mutual aid creates networks of care and generosity to meet the immediate needs of our neighbors. It also addresses the root causes of challenges we face and demands transformative change.  

Mutual aid is a powerful way to give because it helps build community and create people power. People trust those who’ve helped them in hard times and are more likely to join later efforts to push for beneficial change in their communities. Mutual aid builds on the present and for the future.

Helene impacted Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. There are many needs right now and so I again offer this list of mutual aid groups and this list.

I hope you’ll join me in helping the people of Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Any amount is appreciated! Thank you in advance for your humanity.

Please take care of yourselves. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate Movement Monday: the war on Gaza

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which I highlight a climate-related issue and offer suggestions for taking action. It’s been a while since I posted one of these and that’s due to a sense of overwhelm and futility. But I’m rousing myself today because the U.S. military is one of the major (if not the major) driver of climate change and because today is Day 346 of the war on Gaza. I’m hoping that people who might have remained silent thus far regarding the ongoing genocide of Palestinian people might be motivated to take action if they realize what the many tons of bombs supplied by the U.S. are doing to the environment, effects that will impact everyone on this planet.

Per “The Gaza war is an environmental catastrophe,” an article published September 5, 2024, in +972 Magazine, Gaza’s future was already precarious with the specter of “Ever-worsening shortages of water and electricity. Catastrophic flooding in dense urban areas. Food insecurity exacerbated by drastic temperature increases, reduction in overall rainfall, and the long-term impact of toxic chemicals.” Those predictions were made two years ago and now, after nearly one year of the U.S. enabling and providing cover for Israel’s campaign of death and destruction, that threat has radically accelerated.

“…environmental degradation in Gaza has worsened exponentially: as Israel’s bombardment destroys infrastructure, an inordinate amount of toxic dust has been released into the air, and wastewater management has entirely collapsed due to the shortage of fuel. 

By April, the destruction of buildings throughout the Gaza Strip had produced an estimated 37 million tons of debris. As buildings are damaged or collapse, they release clouds of noxious smoke, toxic dust, and fumes into the environment.”

As someone who recently lost a beloved family member to cancer as a result of him working several blocks away from the World Trade Center, the thought of this ongoing assault sickens me. Can you imagine 346 days of this where you live?

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, seen from the Israeli side of the fence encaging the Strip, January 7, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Beside the genocidal depravity of all these bombs, “It is projected that the current war already yielded a minimum of 900,000 tons of toxic waste. These pollutants — which include radioactive and carcinogenic materials, heavy metals, pesticides, and other chemicals, emitted both through the use of military munitions and in the destruction of buildings — persist in the environment, posing a threat to all forms of life, including animals and vegetation. They contaminate soil, air, and water sources, endangering ecosystems.” [emphasis mine]

I encourage you to read the article in its entirety as Dr. Mariam Abd El Hay, a researcher in social dynamics and the environmental impacts of conflicts and a Palestinian citizen of Israel from the city of Tira, answers questions posed by +972 Magazine.

So what can we do? I fully admit that what the global pro-Palestinian coalition has been doing for the past 11+ months hasn’t brought about a ceasefire and aid for Palestinians, but that doesn’t mean we should stop agitating. I continue to contact my electeds to voice my outrage for their continued support for genocide. Today I focused on this document from the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

I used that Tweet as a script which helped me focus my rage at their complicity. Fourteen pages of dead children younger than one year of age! 

To contact your electeds, go HERE for your Representative and HERE for your two Senators. HERE for Biden and HERE for Harris.

In addition to referencing the 649-page document of (documented) dead Palestinians and/or the climate impacts of this U.S.-sponsored genocide, what else might you say to your electeds (particularly if they’re Democrats)?

  • Don’t threaten me with the end of democracy when poll after poll shows the vast majority of voters DO NOT want billions in aid and weapons sent to Israel to commit genocide. What you’re doing is NOT democracy.
  • The poliovirus, which we eradicated, is now present in Gaza’s wastewater. Worse, Israeli soldiers are hindering the delivery of polio vaccine to Palestinians.
  • Humanitarian aid workers are being murdered. As of September 12, 220 UNRWA aid workers have been killed. 
  • Know how to get an immediate ceasefire? Halt all weapons and aid to Israel!
  • There are anti-genocide candidates on the November ballot and I won’t be voting for anyone who doesn’t fully support an arms embargo, immediate ceasefire, and aid to Palestinians.
  • Edited to add: You’re no better than a climate denier if you continue to support this war on Gaza. And that goes for if you support fracking and brag about how much oil production is happening under the Biden administration. You can’t call climate change an existential threat and then push policies that accelerate the climate crisis.

And if you’re unwilling to bang your head against the entrenched political duopoly, you could donate to Municipality of Gaza (water and sewage treatment), UNRWA, esims for Gaza, or vetted fundraising campaigns for families in Gaza via Gaza funds.

Okay, I’ll stop here. It feels gross to frame this genocide in terms of what it’s doing to the climate, but because climate change is a global issue that affects every single one of us, I’m hoping more people will speak out on behalf of Palestinians. And to anyone who continues to scroll on past any mention of what’s happening in Gaza and the West Bank, shame. We need to regain our sense of shared humanity.

Thank you for reading this far. Solidarity! ✊🏽

EDITED TO ADD: Drop Site News is hosting a live screening of the documentary “The Night Won’t End” tomorrow (Tuesday) at 8 p.m. ET. The film tells the story of three Palestinian families in Gaza fighting to survive the genocidal onslaught. Go HERE to subscribe for free and gain access to the screening.

Climate Movement Monday: save the Pearl River

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

Hello, again. I took an unscheduled break from my blog because everything felt like too much. Everything still feels like too much, but I want to continue offering information, perspectives, and ways to take action on behalf of people and planet. Because the WordPress community is spread around the world, these Monday climate posts dedicated to specific issues and communities could be viewed as unrelated to your own life and experience, but because I firmly believe we are ALL connected–everyone and everything–I also believe there’s no such thing as an unrelated issue (climate or otherwise). Anything that negatively affects the climate halfway around the world from where you live will eventually have negative consequences for your community. Okay, so let’s get to today’s issue. 🙂

Pearl River at Rosemary by J.G.W.Blakeney (wikimedia)

In September of 2022, I highlighted the flooding in Jackson, Mississippi, that happened when the Pearl River overflowed its banks due to heavy rains. As a result of that flooding, the water treatment plant failed in Jackson which is 82% Black, leaving 150,000 people without clean drinking water. Nearly two years later, Jackson residents are still dealing with low pressure and brown water.

There are plans to address the flooding issues, but the solution being pushed–One Lake–is environmentally devastating. From Healthy Gulf:

Instead of levee improvements, the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District, in charge of levees, is sponsoring an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to study dredging and widening 9 miles of the river to create a lake, primarily to please developers and mayors who see an urban waterfront as a money maker for Hinds and Rankin Counties. The cities of Jackson and Flowood will “share” the lake and the Drainage District has taxing power to create bonds to finance it. The plan is to dredge the river wider, remove 1860 acres of riverside wetlands and swamps, set back some levees and construct a new low-head dam below the I-20 Pearl River Bridge. The resulting 1900 acre lake is promised to tame the river’s backwater flooding during large releases. 

The problem is that the wetland and wildlife habitat destruction resulting from this much dredging of banks and riverbed make the “One Lake” project the most environmentally damaging of the three alternatives (lake, levees, and floodplain buyouts) for solving the flooding, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

TAKING ACTION

So what can we do to help support the environment and people of Jackson? Submit comments to the Army Corps of Engineers TODAY! (tomorrow is the deadline for public comments and I apologize for the last-minute notice). As always, personalized letters have the most impact. But you don’t have to put tons of effort into your letter: just make your points and sign off! Here’s the letter template in which I’ve highlighted points to hit:

As someone who cares deeply about our country’s birds, wildlife, and habitats, I ask that you reject all flood relief plans for Jackson, Mississippi, that would dam or dredge the Pearl River. Instead, prioritize and expand on a proposal that can provide effective non-structural and nature-based flood solutions to benefit Pearl River communities and wildlife. Specifically, I urge you to pursue and bolster the Corps’ Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) Alternative A1 and deny Alternatives C, D, and E.

The Pearl River runs from Choctaw Tribal lands in Neshoba County, Mississippi, to Lake Borgne and the Rigolets in coastal Louisiana. It connects nearly 500 miles of ecology, communities, and economies across Mississippi and Louisiana. I urge you to oppose any flood relief plan that would dam or dredge this natural treasure.

The One Lake project and related proposals are all ecologically devastating plans. They would dredge river banks and wetlands, depositing the spoil behind levees to create broad terraces for commercial development. This would destroy thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and worsen Jackson’s flooding and drinking water crisis. It would also expose local and downstream communities to toxic contamination and reduce freshwater flows critical to the region’s seafood and tourism economies.

The DEIS is incomplete and missing sections required by law for adequate public and scientific review. It lacks a full analysis of wildlife habitat impacts, toxic sites, and downstream flows. However, it makes clear that One Lake and all related dam/dredge plans should be rejected. Federally mandated habitat protection areas for two endemic turtle species and the Gulf sturgeon are within the project area and LeFleur’s Bluff State Park would lose 63 acres of hardwood forest, changed to lake bottom. These are just two examples of the damage that the One Lake Project would cause.

Instead, I urge you to pursue effective, environmentally sustainable flood relief proposed in Alternative A1. This includes home elevations and flood-proofing buildings. Expand on this plan to consider restoring floodplains, raising roads, and incorporating levee setbacks and protections for vulnerable Jackson neighborhoods.

Please protect the Pearl River for this and future generations. Reject One Lake and all similar plans. Employ nature-based and non-structural flood solutions that benefit all Pearl River communities and species.

Again, here’s the link for writing a letter. Thank you in advance for reading this far and taking action on behalf of the people and environment in Jackson, Mississippi. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate Movement Monday: mutual aid

/ Tracy Abell / 12 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate. And guess what? Climate is connected to every other issue we’re facing for the simple reason that everyone and everything on this planet is connected. No one and nothing exists in isolation.

As I write this, much of the western U.S. is under a heatdome while Hurricane Beryl continues to wreak havoc, this time in Texas. A couple days ago, the medical journal The Lancet published a report saying that a conservative death toll in Gaza is 186,000 dead–which equals 8% of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip–when indirect deaths (starvation, illness, disease, etc.) are taken into account. Ten days ago, the Supreme Court ruled that the constitution doesn’t protect unhoused people from cruel and unusual punishment, meaning it’s okay for cities to criminalize people for sleeping outdoors. Extreme weather is difficult even under the best of circumstances (i.e. with housing), and surviving extreme weather is much, much harder for those living on the streets. That’s where mutual aid comes in.

What is mutual aid? Mutual aid is about cooperating to serve community members. Mutual aid creates networks of care and generosity to meet the immediate needs of our neighbors. It also addresses the root causes of challenges we face and demands transformative change. 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

As it becomes increasingly clear that the powerful elite has no interest in listening to or working on behalf of we-the-people, mutual aid shines brighter as a powerful way to share our energy. I hoped to find a national database of mutual aid efforts around the country that I could link here, but was unsuccessful (many mutual aid efforts started at the beginning of the pandemic have since folded). However, if you do a search for your city + mutual aid, you will get some hits. For instance, Zippy and I help via Rocky Mountain Mutual Aid Network (RMMAN) which collaborates with Joy’s Kitchen to get “saved” food to needy households. We also carry bottled water, granola bars, and masks in our car to offer people flying signs or washing windshields at stop lights. After that disastrous Supreme Court ruling against the unhoused, I came across this very helpful thread listing specific ways to offer aid to the unhoused.

I’ll close with this beautiful poem by the incredible Joy Hargo.

Once the World Was Perfect
BY JOY HARJO

Once the world was perfect, and we were happy in that world.
Then we took it for granted.
Discontent began a small rumble in the earthly mind.
Then Doubt pushed through with its spiked head.
And once Doubt ruptured the web,
All manner of demon thoughts
Jumped through—
We destroyed the world we had been given
For inspiration, for life—
Each stone of jealousy, each stone
Of fear, greed, envy, and hatred, put out the light.
No one was without a stone in his or her hand.
There we were,
Right back where we had started.
We were bumping into each other
In the dark.
And now we had no place to live, since we didn’t know
How to live with each other.
Then one of the stumbling ones took pity on another
And shared a blanket.
A spark of kindness made a light.
The light made an opening in the darkness.
Everyone worked together to make a ladder.
A Wind Clan person climbed out first into the next world,
And then the other clans, the children of those clans, their children,
And their children, all the way through time—
To now, into this morning light to you.
Joy Harjo, “Once the World Was Perfect” from Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings.  Copyright © 2015 by Joy Harjo.
——-
Thank you for reading this far. I’d love to hear your thoughts on any or all of what’s mentioned here, especially any further tips/ideas for helping out in our communities. Either way, take good care. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate Movement Monday: whales, tents, & jail support

/ Tracy Abell / 3 Comments

It’s another Movement Monday and I’ll be extra brief as Zippy and I are headed out for a much-needed dose of nature. I’m grateful to be able to escape to the great outdoors where I can clear my mind and refill my well, and I hope you’re also able to  rejuvenate during these incredibly dark days.

This ask comes from Healthy Gulf and involves personalizing a quick letter:

The critically-endangered Rice’s whale lives only in the Gulf of Mexico and is teetering on the edge of extinction, with only about 50 whales remaining. But rather than protecting them, members of Congress are trying to block desperately needed actions to protect the whales. These whales need your support!

Will you take action today to tell your representatives that you support protections for critically endangered Rice’s whales?

Some members of Congress are attaching anti-whale language to bills that would fund government agencies in 2025. One measure by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) would force the U.S. Air Force to exempt itself from protections for the Rice’s whale under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, even though the Air Force has not requested it and has a long history of working to protect endangered species in its operations. Another would block the federal government from spending any money on creating restrictions on the speed of ships traveling through designated whale habitat—a proven conservation action used worldwide to protect whales from vessel strikes. 

It’s pathological behavior for Congress to ignore the multiple crises threatening humanity’s very existence and, instead, to use their considerable power to target whales for extinction. Whew.

The second issue I want to put on your radar is a fundraiser to buy tents for people in Gaza (just realized they also have a separate fundraiser to buy diapers). The Sameer Project is a donations based aid Palestinian-led initiative working to supply emergency funding to the displaced families in Gaza. They are doing amazing work under incredibly difficult circumstances. This from their GoFundMe update today: The Sameer Project has so far provided over 525+ tents sheltering more than 5,000 people since the Rafah invasion started in May. That accounts for 1.5% of all the displaced population. Not only that, but our team has also been providing cash, clothing, food, water, and medical in all parts of the Strip. Wheelchairs are extremely expensive and difficult to find yet we successfully secured one for a woman with a severe case of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Our community kitchens and water trucks are going strong in the North because of your support. We also recently sourced around 300 milk tins and 1250 packs of diapers in both the North and South. 

Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated!

The third issue is monetary support for the courageous people of Stop the Money Pipeline who are putting pressure on CitiBank to stop funding fossil fuel projects and genocide in Israel (you can notify Citi you’re opposed their actions here). I wrote about the Summer of Heat campaign here. This from the latest Stop the Money Pipeline email:

In the last three weeks, we’ve helped organize sixteen actions on Wall Street financiers of fossil fuels, including seven civil disobedience protests at Citi’s HQ that have ended in more than 250 arrests.

As a result of our tireless organizing, our message is getting out.

Yesterday, ABC correctly reported that “fossil fuel projects in [the Gulf South] are devastating Black and Brown communities.” Reuters wrote that “Citi employees were alerted on Thursday to anticipate ‘significant protest’ activity on Friday.” The previous day, Bloomberg reported that our “protracted campaign is beginning to wear on employees and executives alike.”

We aren’t deterred by all the arrests. Our resolve is only hardened: we will make our demand to end fossil fuels impossible to ignore by continuing disruptive, nonviolent civil disobedience.

That’s why we’ve been shutting down Citi’s HQ since early June – and why we’ll continue to be back week after week.

To sustain this fight, we need your help. Donate here to our legal and jail support fund. Every cent raised will support the courageous activists risking arrest week after week here in New York.

Again, any amount is helps! Thank you for reading this far and please know how much you’re appreciated. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate Movement Monday: declare a national climate emergency

/ Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

Welcome back to another Movement Monday in which we discuss the climate crisis and take a quick action on behalf of people and planet. I don’t have a formal request for an action today, but suggest making phone calls and/or emailing Biden plus your two Senators and one Representative to report on what June has been like where you live. Is it hotter than usual? Windier than usual? Have there been wildfires, floods, tornados, tropical storms, drought, hail storms, etc.? How’s your air quality? Have you had to curtail physical activity? Have you lost insurance coverage due to climate risks?

A Bloomberg article from April stated “White House officials have renewed discussions about potentially declaring a national climate emergency, an unprecedented step that could unlock federal powers…” I don’t have a subscription so could only read that opening, but it seems like a good idea to let Biden and the Democrats know there’s broad support for the declaration of a climate emergency that would unlock all sorts of powers to take action.

When I made calls today, I reported that despite it still being morning, the temperature in the Denver metro area was already above 90 degrees. I went on to say that while those elected officials possessed considerable power that could be used to mitigate the climate crisis, they were instead using that power to enable and support a genocide in Gaza, and total destruction of infrastructure via 262 days of nonstop bombing that was also accelerating the climate crisis. I pointed out that the majority of people do NOT want their tax dollars used to kill and destroy, and would prefer a climate emergency declaration that would get everyone working together to ensure the planet remains livable.

On a related note, last week organizer Kelly Hayes shared the link to a Truthout article Climate Refugees Are Occupying Abandoned Buildings in Southern Brazil. This not only ties in with Rosaliene Bacchus’s recent blog post, but also gave me a boost. People coming together to care for each other in time of tragedy.

“This is our lifeboat,” says Liziane Pacheco Dutra. She wears a thick black jacket. Her hair is pulled back in a pony tail. “We lost everything to the flood. We have nothing. We have no bed. No food. We were disrespected at the shelter, and here we have found a connection, care and open arms. We’ve made friends. The kids play together and we are looking after each other.”

People were not treated well in the shelters which are mostly run by middle and upper class people who show the working class little respect. Instead, people are forming communities in abandoned buildings.

It’s a profound sentiment and a symbol of what the occupation means for the nearly 60 families that live here.

I recommend reading the entire article which shows what happens when people come together for the common good. Reading it warmed my heart and filled me with hope for the many possibilities available to us. Shared humanity for the win!

Wherever you are, I hope your local temperatures and weather are moderate. I’d love if you shared details of your June in the comments and/or comments made to your elected officials. Either way, please take care and stay safe. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate Movement Monday: Summer of Heat campaign

/ Tracy Abell / 9 Comments

Welcome back to another Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate and then typically take a quick action or two (today’s suggestions from Stop the Money Pipeline will be to donate, make a phone call, and send personalized emails) in support of frontline communities, those enduring the worst of the climate crisis.

With record-breaking heat happening around the country, along with a whole lot of wildfires currently burning, it could be said that every single one of us lives in a frontline community. Here’s today’s wildfire map from FIRMS US/CANADA (Fire Information for Resource Management System US/Canada):

Each of those orange flame icons represents a current wildfire. And it’s precisely for this reason that last week, Stop the Money Pipeline launched their Summer of Heat campaign (scroll down at link for details and lots of good info, including this):

The clock is ticking. That’s why during the Summer of Heat, we’re taking joyful, relentless nonviolent direct action to end fossil fuel financing. 

Wall Street is bankrolling the coal, oil and gas companies that are polluting our communities and killing our planet. But we’re going to stop them.

We’re going hard all summer long. Week after week. Month after month. We’re taking the party to the streets and we won’t stop.

The following comes from the Stop the Money Pipeline newsletter sent last night:
It’s been quite the first week here in New York. We organized civil disobedience actions at Citibank’s global headquarters four days in a row: On Monday we blockaded every entrance with 150+ people. On Tuesday, we did it with a giant pod of orcas. On Wednesday, it was the turn of the scientists, including Dr. Sandra Steingraber and Dr. Peter Kalmus. And on Thursday we blockaded the headquarters with 200+ elders and 50+ rocking chairs.

On Friday, we held a block party in the plaza outside the HQ and in the midst of it all, we also found the time to disrupt a speech by Citibank’s Head of Wealth Management, Andy Seig. In total, 144 people were arrested this week, demanding an end to the financing of fossil fuels.

As someone who was arrested and jailed for climate protest, I know the risks these folks are taking on our behalf (especially risky now during an ongoing pandemic in which New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, is threatening a statewide mask ban). Alec Connon, co-director of Stop the Money Pipeline, said in that newsletter he was jailed twice last week! If you can spare a few dollars, please donate to the legal fund set up for the summer’s planned actions. Twelve weeks of actions will land an awful lot of people in jail because the powerful elites are working overtime to crush dissent as climate collapse worsens. Note: today’s article from independent journalists at The Lever is Big Oil’s Plan to Criminalize Pipeline Protestors.

The following also comes from last night’s Stop the Money Pipeline newsletter:

The stakes of the climate fight cannot be overestimated. Already, at less than 1.5°C of warming, half of the world’s coral reefs have collapsed and millions of children are being displaced by climate-driven extreme weather events every year. If we don’t stop burning fossil fuels in the coming years, it will get so much worse.

Given these stakes, it feels good to be a part of a campaign that at least feels close to being commensurate with the scale of the crisis.

I take heart, too, in knowing that history shows how effective sustained campaigns of civil disobedience can be. Indeed, many of most significant advances in social justice of the past 150 years ― from women’s suffrage to desegregation to the many gains won by organized labor ― owe less to subtle, “respectable” maneuvering than to the disruptive campaigns and groups that first made the issues impossible to ignore, and then forced decision-makers to act.

I believe that will be true of the fight to end fossil fuels, too―and that civil disobedience will play a key role in turning Wall Street against the fossil fuel industry.

As we take a breath and prepare for another week of civil disobedience actions, there are several ways that you can support the Summer of Heat campaign, wherever you are.

You can take a few minutes to call Citi’s CEO, email a dozen of their top executives, or call them out on social media. If you have the means to do so, you can also make a donation to the Summer of Heat campaign here. We’ll put every cent to good use.

And, of course, if you’re really eager to jump in, you can also look up where the closest Citi branch is to you and plan an action; or you could even start to plan your trip to New York. June 28th would be a very good day to be in town…

In Solidarity
– Alec Connon, Stop the Money Pipeline coalition co-director

PS: Interested in checking out the media from the first week of Summer of Heat? The pick of the bunch is here: Newsweek, the Hill, Salon, Democracy Now – Wednesday, Democracy Now – Thursday, Bloomberg, ABC7, AM NY, NPR, Common Dreams, and the NY Post

As I end here, I want to highlight the TikTok video of the orcas blockading Citibank on Tuesday. (Warning: profanities).

Thank you for being here and please know I appreciate your efforts on behalf of people and planet. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Action needed: prioritize Palestinian refugees in U.S.

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

As you know, the United States is largely responsible for the genocide happening in Gaza right now. Tens of thousands dead, thousands more buried beneath rubble, and entire families wiped out by the U.S. bombs supplied to Israel. The reality is incredibly bleak. However, there’s an effort underway that could potentially save thousands of Palestinian lives, and that is to allow them to reunite with family members in the U.S.

This action info came to me via an email from MPOWER CHANGE:

Rep. Greg Casar, Sen. Dick Durbin, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal are leading a bicameral letter expressing strong support for a Priority-2 (P-2) designation under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for Palestinians in Gaza with family in the United States. The Biden administration is reportedly considering this policy change.1

Urge your U.S. Senators and Representative to sign on to the Casar-Durbin letter NOW:

Palestinians are so rarely granted U.S. refugee status that, of the over 60,000 refugees resettled in the United States in 2023, fewer than 0.1% were Palestinians.2

PLEASE take two minutes to personalize a letter to your representatives, demanding they ease some of the pain and suffering they’ve enabled by signing on to the Casar-Durbin letter.

Thank you in advance for your help. Solidarity! ✊🏽

  1. “White House considers welcoming some Palestinians from war-torn Gaza as refugees,” CBS News, Apr. 30, 2024.
  2. “Republicans want to ban Palestinian refugees from entering the U.S., but it’s already very hard for them to get in,” NBC News, Oct. 7, 2023

Climate Movement Monday: Lake Charles Methanol plant

/ Tracy Abell / 2 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate and then take a quick action on behalf of a frontline community. This week, we’re focusing on the people of Lake Charles, Louisiana, who are facing yet another proposed plant in an area that, according to the EPA, already has some of the worst air pollution in the country. But before I get into that I wanted to quickly update you on a previous action on behalf of people in Louisiana. I’m happy to report that The Vessel Project reached its $25,000 fundraising goal after their office was damaged by a tornado two+ weeks ago, and they are now back at work providing mutual aid, disaster relief, and environmental justice in their community. Yay!

Today’s post info comes from Healthy Gulf (highlighted here before) and this is the info I received via email:

In October 2023, Lake Charles Methanol (LCM) submitted a new application for an air operating permit to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ). This plant was previously given authorization in 2016, but despite the fact that they have yet to break ground, this polluting project is still being pushed on Lake Charles communities.

If given approval for this permit, LCM would be able to produce up to 10,000 metric tons of methanol per day, resulting in over 350 tons of toxic emissions per year.

This project is proposed for the heart of Southwest Louisiana, where many community members have been experiencing the effects of toxic industry buildout in their backyards. Many disenfranchised communities, as well as communities of color continue to be targeted and impacted by this buildout.

The deadline to submit comments has been extended to Wednesday, May 1. Please take action today and tell LDEQ to reject Lake Charles Methanol II’s request for an air operating permit.

For a healthy Gulf, 
Breon Robinson
——————————————–

I debated whether to make writing a comment today’s ask since we’re not living in that community, but then thought about how I’d appreciate people from other parts of the country speaking out in solidarity for my community’s health and well-being.  And to be clear, the people in those communities are being sacrificed on the altar of capitalism and consumerism. That’s where industries concentrate their toxic and hazardous plants and factories, and the people there are the first to suffer the effects of those pollutants AND the extreme weather caused by climate change. It’s not acceptable.

I personalized my letter to acknowledge that I don’t live in the community, but would not want those toxic chemicals in my community. Also? When I went to the Louisiana Tourism site and saw this quote at the top of the page: We have the best food, music, and culture in the world, but it’s our people that make Louisiana such a special place to visit!, I had another talking point: if Louisiana really considers their people the most important asset, then they should be protecting ALL citizens from toxic chemicals and poor health. It’s not necessary to personalize your letter, but it will carry more weight if you do.

Thank you for reading this far and taking action on behalf of people who are already dealing with a toxic environment that degrades public health and the environment. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Day 192 of the genocidal war on Palestinians

/ Tracy Abell / 12 Comments

Nobody but the military industrial complex, the Zionists, and AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) recipients in the House and Senate want this slaughter to continue. I don’t want it and I’m guessing you don’t want it, either.

Billions and billions of dollars are being handed over to Israel, without condition, so that it may continue to destroy the people and infrastructure of Gaza. This would NOT be  possible without full-throated support from the United States. Biden could make one phone call to put an immediate stop to the carnage. Instead? Israel has been emboldened by U.S. support and is now opening slaughtering Palestinian children at a refugee camp playground.

Know what would be cool?  Sanctions against Israel. Instead, today the U.S. announced sanctions against Iran. Because, yanno, Iran’s drone program has killed over 34,000 people, mostly women and children, disabled thousands more, destroyed every hospital and university, and used mass starvation as a weapon . Oh, wait! It’s Israel (“the only democracy in the Middle East”) that’s killed over 34,000 people by dropping 70,000 tons of Made-in-the-U.S. explosives on the Palestinians.

There are so many grotesque layers to all this. For instance, Israeli Firms Are Working Overtime to Sell Stolen Palestinian Land to US Jews. And the suppression of pro-Palestinian voices continues as USC refuses to allow its Valedictorian to speak at graduation because she linked to a pro-Palestinian page on her Instagram account. You may read Valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s statement HERE. EDITED TO ADD: Right after posting, I saw that the House just passed a Resolution: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the slogan, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is antisemitic and its use must be condemned. Truly pathetic.

I know many are tired of reading about Gaza, tired of thinking about the horrors, and tired of not being heard. When I made calls this morning to the the White House comment line and my Representative and two Senators, my blood pressure went into overdrive with the knowledge that my supposed representatives in this supposed democracy do not care one iota about my opinions. While that may be true, they still must hear from us. These genocide-enablers do not get a free pass! They need to know we are watching and understanding that this brutal assault on Palestinians could happen to any of us, anywhere around the world. They need to know we object.

Please don’t look away. Please don’t stop making noise and disrupting “business as usual.” Please remember our shared humanity and don’t allow your heart to harden. Palestine will be free.

Solidarity!

Climate Movement Monday: immediate & permanent ceasefire in Gaza

/ Tracy Abell / 2 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate. No matter where we live on this planet, we are all affected by climate change. The climate crisis knows no boundaries or political affiliations, and it’s in our collective best interest to do everything we possibly can to slow earth’s warming.  The Democrats pretend to believe this truth, yet they continue to prop up a genocidal campaign against the Palestinians.

As I posted in early January, Israel’s constant bombardment of Gaze (with weapons provided by the U.S.)  is cancelling out any progress we’ve made on climate change. Now it’s three months later, and the slaughter continues. Please understand, the uppermost concern is the people of Gaza, and we should all be using our voices and resources in their defense.

Tasnim News Agency 2023 via Wikimedia Commons

But if you need another reason to care about what’s happening and our government’s role in not only accelerating the genocide but also climate change, then read this from Jeff Jones and Eleanor Stein at The Nation: The Single Most Important Thing President Biden Can Do for the Climate Is Enforce an Immediate Cease-Fire in Gaza.

The article isn’t long but I want to highlight this: According to a report from Brown University’s Watson Institute, the US Department of Defense is “the world’s largest institutional user of petroleum and correspondingly, the single largest institutional producer of greenhouse gases.” In other words, military emissions significantly drive the total of US emissions. And this is a peacetime analysis.

And this closing paragraph: War is simultaneously deepening the climate crisis—and making it impossible to solve. The linkage is clear. It is imperative for us to reflect this in our organizing, our advocacy, in the streets and classrooms, and in our thinking in ways we have not yet done. As we near Earth Day 2024, let’s make an immediate and permanent cease-fire in Gaza a point of global unity.

So what can we do when it’s clear the ruling elites don’t care that voters are  overwhelmingly opposed to the government funding and enabling genocide? We keep making noise.

  • If you’re in Wisconsin, PLEASE vote “Uninstructed delegation” in tomorrow’s (April 2) Democratic primary to send the message to Biden that you’re withholding your vote while he enables genocide and climate devastation. (In other states , the term is “Uncommitted” and as a result of those primaries in Michigan, Minnesota, Hawaii, and Missouri, there will be 23 uncommitted Democratic delegates at the Democratic Convention). And if you have friends/family in Wisconsin, please ask them to vote “Uninstructed delegation.” You can find more info about this campaign at ListenToWisconsin.com including this: Our goal is to use the democratic process to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire and an end to the genocide in Gaza. We also call for the full entry of humanitarian aid, reinstating aid to UNRWA, and an end to US military aid to Israel. Our votes in the Democratic Primary are a tool to send a clear message to the administration that the margin of victory in Wisconsin will be determined by a serious and immediate change in this administration’s approach in Gaza.
  • Send emails to Biden and Harris
  • Call Biden and Harris (recommend calling Switchboard at 202-456-1414 then ask to be transferred to Comment Line which is 202-456-1111)
  • Send emails to your two Senators and one Representative
  • Call your two Senators and one Representative
  • Put signage in your window, yard, vehicle, etc.
  • Post on social media
  • Talk to your friends, family, neighbors about Palestine
  • Gain confidence by reading and learning more
  • Attend rallies and marches
  • Donate to UNRWA, GazaSunbirds, Doctors Without Borders, World Central Kitchen

It can all feel so futile, I know. But there’s so much to continue fighting for and we can’t give up. Let’s remember our shared humanity. Let’s remember that no matter where we reside, Earth is home to all of us and we cannot survive without a livable planet.

Thank you for reading this far. I appreciate you very much and hope you’ll share thoughts and feelings in the comments. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate Movement Monday: climate resiliency and insurance companies

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate and then take a quick action on behalf of people and planet. This week’s info comes from a Stop the Money Pipeline email on behalf of the Connecticut Citizen Action Group which “for the last 4 years, has been working hard to hold insurance companies accountable for propping up fossil fuel projects and fueling the climate crisis.” You might be reading this, wondering why anyone living outside Connecticut should care what’s happening there. My take is that we should care because when one state takes the lead on an issue, it makes it easier for other states to adopt those tested policies. Climate leadership emboldens other states to follow suit!

You might also be wondering about the connection between insurance companies and climate change. Go HERE for a quick primer on how insurance companies, the companies we pay to protect us from catastrophic damages, are the very companies fueling the climate crisis.

The following is from Jackie of Stop the Money Pipeline:

We have some exciting climate news. This month, the Connecticut General Assembly’s Environment Committee just voted a groundbreaking policy out of committee. But we need your help to get it over the finish line: We need to keep the most important amendments in the bill. (Tracy here again: I found the letter template to be a bit confusing so am linking my letter as a sample on how you might personalize AND to emphasize that the ask is to keep the amendment!)

The committee voted to approve the Governor’s Climate Resiliency bill (SB11) with an amendment that advances a climate resiliency fund to support communities in Connecticut harmed by extreme weather disasters fueled by climate chaos.

The measure instructs the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to propose by the end of the year how a fund would be financed with a surcharge on insurers’ policies offered to fossil fuel projects. This could be replicated in other states if it passes.

Thank the Governor for the Climate Resiliency bill and urge him to make CT a leader by keeping the insurance study amendment!

Thanks to CCAG, the bill is headed to the Senate floor, and we have a real chance at holding insurers accountable.

This piece of legislation would take a crucial step in highlighting insurers’ role in the climate crisis, and hold them accountable for the devastation their underwriting policies have caused as they pull coverage from the most disaster-prone areas of the country.

Send an email to the CT Governor now! We need to continue to hold insurance companies accountable.

If we get a win in Connecticut, this law could be replicated in other states. Let’s make it happen.

Tracy again. Thank you for reading and taking action! We’re all in this together and every climate win is a win for people and planet. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Wordful Wednesday: Geese & Gaza

/ Tracy Abell

Isn’t this a serene image? Five geese winging their way through blue, blue skies? Aren’t you glad you can view this in the safety and comfort of your home?

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. March 11, 2024

On February 1, I wrote about the Biden administration callously suspending funding for UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) because of unfounded allegations against some of the workers. In the time since, Israel has offered zero evidence of those lies and one million people are facing starvation and the spread of preventable diseases. Per Jewish Voice for Peace: Today, one-third of children under the age of two in Gaza’s north are suffering from acute malnutrition, more than double the number from a month ago. 

PLEASE take two minutes to email your Representative and two Senators, asking them to pressure the Biden administration to resume funding of UNRWA. That link contains a letter template you can personalize. I know we’ve already emailed them with this same demand, but we cannot stop pressuring them to do the right thing until they actually do the right thing.

As way of thanks, here’s another gooseful photo:

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. March 12, 2024

Solidarity!

Climate Movement Monday: Juliana v United States (AGAIN)

/ Tracy Abell / 9 Comments

Hello, it’s another Monday which means a Movement Monday post! Thank you for being here for discussions about climate and the frontline communities facing the worst of the climate crisis. This giant blue ball is home to ALL of us and we need to keep showing up in order to ensure the planet remains livable.

The Juliana 21 (image from Our Children’s Trust)

Today is a time-sensitive ask (a quick personal letter) as we revisit the children’s climate case: Juliana v United States. Here’s the background info from my January 30, 2023, post:

In 2015, 21 young Americans filed a landmark constitutional climate lawsuit, Juliana v. United States, against the U.S. government. Their complaint asserts that the government’s affirmative actions, like fossil fuel energy policies, knowingly cause and worsen the climate crisis. The youth claim that this violates the youngest generation’s constitutional rights to life, liberty, property, and equal protection of the law, as well as fails to protect essential public trust resources.

These 21 young people are seeking a judicial declaration that the U.S. fossil fuel energy system is unconstitutional and violates their fundamental right to a safe climate. A victory in their case would mean that all current and future U.S. climate and energy policy – whether executive or legislative in nature, and regardless of political majority or party – would need to adhere to the court’s declaratory judgment, protecting the rights of our nation’s children to a safe climate.

Despite President Biden’s promises to listen to youth and address the climate crisis, his Department of Justice is still actively opposing the Juliana case, denying their rights and seeking to prevent the young plaintiffs from presenting evidence to a judge in open court of how their own government is causing them harm.
—————————

You may recall that exactly three weeks ago, I asked you to take action on this very case. The good news is that 35,000+ letters were sent demanding that the Department of Justice (DOJ) stop their stalling tactics and allow the case to go to trial AND that 75 organizations joined the efforts to #SaveJuliana. The bad news is that the DOJ asked for a stay (their 22nd attempt to shut down this case!) Good news? The U.S. Court of appeals denied the stay! BUT on February 29, the DOJ said we have 21 days to make the case for why Juliana should go to trial. That’s where we come in.

PLEASE, take two minutes to personalize the letter template to send a message to the Biden administration and the DOJ demanding that the young people are heard in court! 

Maybe you have children or grandchildren or are a teacher or librarian who works with young people, and maybe you want to include concern for them in your letter. Maybe you want to mention that if Biden wants to be known as the “climate president,” he should allow this case to go to trial. Maybe you want to mention droughts, floods, hurricanes, or winter tornadoes you’ve suffered due to the climate crisis. Whatever your approach, let’s stand up for the young who did not create this climate catastrophe but who are already facing the consequences of their elders’ inaction. Let’s give them a brighter future!

Also? If you could forward the info to two friends or family members and ask them to send letters today, we will grow our impact. For those on Facebook, Twitter/X, or Instagram, here’s a toolkit with graphics and messaging to help spread the word.

Thank you for reading and engaging on this issue. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate action needed!

/ Tracy Abell

Typically I make one climate-related ask per week, but this info from Stop the Money Pipeline landed in my email box after I put up yesterday’s post, and it’s a time-sensitive request. Comments needed today! I’m going to paste that email below but, spoiler alert, the ask is that you personalize a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  Thank you in advance for reading and taking action! Solidarity! ✊🏽

Edited to add: Just sent my letter which requires more steps (the SEC making things harder for we-the-people to be heard) and wanted to say that while it’s more complicated than usual, it’s doable! 🙂 Follow the instructions and holler here in the comments if you need help.

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

From Stop the Money Pipeline:

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)–a major Wall Street and corporate regulator–is asleep at the wheel. This Wednesday, March 6th, it will vote on a crucial climate financial risk disclosure rule, an earlier draft of which required big corporations like banks and fossil fuel companies to report their scope 1, 2, AND 3 emissions. According to media reports, the current draft has them reporting only their scope 1 and 2 emissions, if they want to(1), which would miss most fossil fuel industry emissions and all financed emissions from banks.

Industry lobbyists are gutting this rule because they do not want people saving for retirement to know just how much their investments are at risk from these corporations’ decisions.

Take action with us and send an email to the SEC: They must protect investors and require companies to disclose all greenhouse gas emissions!  

Think of this–insurance companies are raising premiums at ridiculous rates while pulling out of areas they deem “uninsurable,” which typically lines up with historically redlined districts. Under the current draft of the rule, Scope 3 emissions, which include emissions from financing to burning fossil fuels, will not be disclosed.

If the industry lobbyists get their way, companies will get to choose whether or not they report Scopes 1 and 2 emissions (emissions from the energy the company buys, and emissions from the production process, including company vehicle emissions). Is it right that companies get to decide how transparent they should be?

Tell the SEC: Your disclosure rule needs some major work. Urge them to require companies to disclose their climate emissions.

The fossil fuel industry is toxic. This rule fails to respond to real-time hidden risks with financial implications for our entire economy. In the context of a ‘dying’ fossil fuel industry, we need to be able to foresee how prices will change as flows of money shift from fossil fuels to a clean future.

If this final rule is weaker than what the SEC proposed two years ago, it will fail the agency’s mission to protect investors and provide transparency about corporate climate risks. They should know we’re angry. Please take this action ASAP to make sure they hear our voices before the vote on Wednesday.

Together, we can make our voices heard and pressure these decision-makers to do the right thing at every opportunity.

In solidarity,
– the Stop the Money Pipeline team

1. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/the-long-game/2024/02/27/down-to-the-wire-at-the-sec-00143511

Climate Movement Monday: train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio

/ Tracy Abell / 18 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate and focus on acting in solidarity with frontline communities. Today’s post isn’t directly climate-related as in drought or flooding, but is connected to public health and the environment. On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern** train carrying liquid vinyl chloride derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Twenty cars, […], toppled off the tracks and burst into flames. Three days later, railroad officials decided to burn off the remnants in the derailed cars, sending a giant black cloud plume over the village and region.

A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains, Feb. 6, 2023.  // Gene J. Puskar/AP, FILE

Something that I lost track of in following this story is that the black particulate cloud from the burn not only affected people in Ohio, but also communities in Pennsylvania. As a result of last year’s catastrophe, the inhabitants of East Palestine (and beyond) have faced a myriad of mysterious health ailments. Biden didn’t show up there until last month, more than a year since the train derailment. The people of East Palestine hoped he’d finally make a Presidential Disaster Declaration so, among other things, there’d finally be testing of all homes, the soil, and creeks. As resident-turned-activist Jamie Wallace points out in this video interview, the creeks might look okay on the surface but the chemicals have soaked into the sediment. When that sediment is disturbed, there is a “chemical tornado.”

She and the rest of Unity Council for EP Train Derailment, the group formed in the aftermath of the disaster, are calling  for long-term health monitoring for East Palestine residents and access to a toxicologist. At this time, they do not have access to a toxicologist which is SO wrong when considering they’ve been exposed to a known human carcinogen. (An aside: if you’re considering new flooring for your home, PLEASE don’t buy vinyl flooring –that stuff that looks like hardwood–because it’s highly toxic for all from workers, to transport, to home. A good alternative–and one we’ve used in multiple applications–is Marmoleum flooring. We’ve found some good deals online.)

In advance of Biden’s long-overdue visit to East Palestine, a letter outlining recommendations for federal help on this catastrophe was sent to Biden and Michael Regan of the EPA. The following includes their recommendations (full letter HERE):

“. . . we strongly recommend that the federal government issue a “major disaster declaration” and work with Senators J.D. Vance, Sherrod Brown, Bob Casey, John Fetterman, and members of Congress to do the following:
1. Provide immediate and long-term healthcare for the community of East Palestine, in nearby Ohio and Pennsylvania, and other states and communities that have been exposed to the toxic chemical mixture resulting from the derailment, chemical spill, and intentional burn;
2. Set up a long-term medical monitoring program to follow these communities and any
individuals who were in the area over time for a minimum of 20 years;
3. Provide all financial resources for relocation that make it possible for anyone living or who lived in the area who feels they were impacted by hazardous exposure from the train derailment and burn who want to leave the area to do so and move into equivalent housing, and develop a program to replace all household items that may have been contaminated;
4. Conduct comprehensive indoor air testing for anyone in the area who feels they have been exposed or have endured latent exposure due to contaminated waterways, especially homes, businesses, and other buildings near Sulphur Run where vapor intrusion may be occurring;
5. Conduct long-term, robust assessments for hazardous chemicals that may have contaminated the drinking water, both for municipalities and especially for people who rely on well water in East Palestine and nearby communities and anyone who feels their drinking water may have been impacted by the derailment and subsequent release and burn of chemicals; and
6. Significantly expand sampling for dioxins and furans in residential soil, indoor dust, fish, farm animals, wildlife, and other relevant environmental media in East Palestine and nearby communities that may have been impacted.

In addition, we were pleased to see that EPA recently announced that it was beginning a process under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to evaluate vinyl chloride. Such a process should end with a ban on vinyl chloride.

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My ask today is to WRITE ONE EMAIL on behalf of the people of East Palestine and nearby communities: You can use the above recommendations, you can demand Biden issue a Disaster Declaration, you can plead for a ban on vinyl chloride, and/or you can just share your outrage that citizens of this country have been left on their own as another corporation gets away with destroying public health and the environment.  What’s important is letting our government know that we are not okay with fellow citizens being poisoned and then left to deal with the devastating aftermath.

President Biden : comments@whitehouse.gov
EPA Administrator, Michael Regan: Regan.Michael@epa.gov

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**You may or may not be surprised to learn that Norfolk Southern’s CEO received a 37% raise last year. This past weekend, Norfolk Southern trains had a collision involving three trains (!)  and derailment of two of those trains in Pennsylvania, spilling plastic pellets and diesel into the waterways.

3.7.24 UPDATE: People wondered in the comments here why Norfolk Southern would burn the vinyl chloride. Watch this eye-opening testimony from a National Transportation Safety Board rep who says NS was told by the vinyl chloride manufacturer it was NOT necessary to burn. It appears NS chose to poison East Palestine chose and surrounding communities in order to immediately resume moving trains through that area.

Thank you for reading and taking action on behalf of East Palestine and the surrounding communities. Solidarity! ✊🏽

In our thousands, in our millions

/ Tracy Abell / 12 Comments

Note: I’m still feeling the affects of general anesthesia and pain medication, and ask that you excuse any typos and/or poorly stated thoughts in the following.

On Tuesday, I had some major dental work done. I’d known it was needed for a couple months and experienced quite a bit of anxiety in advance. However, that anxiety was greatly lessened by the knowledge that I’d be under general anesthesia. I recognize my privilege in all this, which boils down to: (A) me being able to afford that additional expense and (B) anesthesia being widely available in my community which isn’t under siege from an occupying power.

I cannot imagine having that work done without all that medication. As the nurse anesthesiologist prepped me Tuesday morning, I thought about Palestinians in Gaza forced to have limbs amputated without pain medication as the neighborhood around them is blown up by bombs the U.S. sends to Israel. I thought about Palestinian women giving birth while buried beneath rubble and others delivering their babies via cesarean without pain medication. I thought about how frightened I was to have my procedure, despite the calm circumstances

I won’t go into specific horrors inflicted on Gaza and the West Bank right now.  What I will say is that none of us are separate from what’s happening. The genocide, ethnic cleansing, displacement, starvation, rampant diseases, the Israeli settlers who devote their days to blocking humanitarian aid (some setting up a bouncy castle and others throwing a dance party), the plundering of Palestinian homes and possessions, etc. None of us are insulated against that brutality.

In our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians!

Ehab of DIRECT AID FOR GAZA

The powerful elites aren’t listening to our calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, but we can still alleviate a little pain and trauma. PLEASE, as you can:

  • UNRWA donation
  • Donate esims which allow people in Gaza to communicate with family, friends, and the outside world. Go to gazaesims.com to learn how to purchase and donate esims OR donate money HERE for the purchase and distribution of esims. NOTE: there are discount codes at both links.
  • Direct Aid to Gaza: donate via PayPal for mutual aid efforts in Gaza

I’ll stop here as I need to apply ice to my swollen face, but I thank you if you’ve read this far. Solidarity!

Climate Movement Monday: Juliana v United States

/ Tracy Abell / 14 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate! This will be a quick post with a call to action as I’m finishing up what I hope is the final round of revisions on my middle grade novel (so that it may go out on submission YAY) before tomorrow morning’s major dental procedure that will put me out of commission for a bit (not so YAY 😦 ).

Today’s post revisits Juliana v United States which, as I wrote about just over a year ago, is the youth-led climate lawsuit charging that the federal government’s actions which knowingly cause climate change are in violation of our constitutional rights. I often write about frontline communities (those facing the worst effects of climate change) and want to highlight my belief that every single young person belongs to a frontline community, in that the climate crisis was not of their making but they will bear the consequences of their elders’ actions. As someone in my third act on this planet, I feel deeply for the young people who are facing an unlivable planet. This knowledge keeps me awake at night and it’s imperative to step up in support of their future. My ask is to personalize the linked email template that will then be delivered to the Biden administration and Department of Justice (DOJ).

Photo by Robin Erino/pexels.com

The info below comes from an email from People Vs Fossil Fuels coalition:

In 2015, 21 young Americans filed a constitutional climate lawsuit against the U.S: Juliana v. United States. In the nearly nine years since the case was filed, the DOJ has made twenty-two attempts to kill Juliana and silence the Juliana youth. No other case in history has faced this kind of government persecution.

NOW, the Juliana youth have to fight to be heard once more and it’s on all of us to rally around them.

TAKE ACTION NOW

Just weeks ago, the Juliana 21 were headed to trial. But now, the DOJ is abusing emergency government powers to rip the case out of the normal legal process. Out of 40,000+ cases in front of the DOJ, these extreme legal tactics are only being used against ONE case: Juliana. The DOJ will try anything to stop America’s youth from protecting all of our futures.

If the DOJ succeeds, the Juliana youth won’t be heard in open court. If we succeed, the Juliana 21 will go to trial and they will win—and force the United States, the BIGGEST contributor to climate change in the world, to make systemic change and phase out fossil fuels. President Biden and the DOJ have a matter of weeks to pull back their attack.

You can help us—your voice is needed NOW.

Tell the Biden Administration and the DOJ: We demand the Juliana 21 be heard at trial. The People vs. Fossil Fuels coalition, in coordination with Our Children’s Trust, is once again joining the Juliana youth by hosting an action to directly email them.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!

  1. Directly Email the Biden Administration and the DOJ with just a few clicks!
  2. Then, amplify the #SaveJuliana campaign, urging friends and family and your networks to take action, too, by using the Partner and Supporter Toolkit! *We have a short turnaround. Help us reach a goal of 10,000 emails sent to Biden and the DOJ by early March!
  3. For more ways to show your support for the Juliana 21, visit the #SaveJuliana campaign page!

Don’t let the DOJ silence youth voices.

Thank you for taking action to support the Juliana youth!

In Solidarity,

Liz Lee on behalf of the People vs. Fossil Fuels organizing team and #SaveJuliana coalition

If you’ve read this far, thank you! I appreciate your engagement and support for the young people. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Climate Movement Monday: Gaza + militarized response to peaceful protest

/ Tracy Abell / 10 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate-related. I didn’t post the last two weeks due to “reality overwhelm,” but am back today to share some info and offer a few quick actions. Thank you for being here with me. 🙂

Embroidery by @hibstitches on Instagram

These actions are requested from Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and I’m including them today because as I wrote earlier, in addition to Israel genociding Palestinians, the “emissions from Israel’s war in Gaza have immense effect on climate catastrophe.” Everyone and everything on the planet is connected. The asks from JVP:

As always, personalized messages are the most powerful. These actions come from JVP’s article Rafah: The penultimate step in Israel’s march of genocide and you may read that here.

Thank you for taking action on behalf of Palestinians and the entire planet! ❤️💚

**********
Now, I’d like to share an illuminating article by Adam Federman which was produced in partnership with Grist and Type Investigations: How the US government began its decade-long campaign against the anti-pipeline movement. The subheading: Newly released documents show the FBI monitoring anti-Keystone protesters much earlier than previously known. Young Native activists were among its first targets.

I encourage you to read the entire article, but here are a few key paragraphs:

Environmental activists and attorneys who reviewed the new documents told Grist and Type Investigations that law enforcement’s approach to the Keystone XL campaign looked like a template for the increasingly militarized response to subsequent environmental and social justice campaigns — from efforts to block the Dakota Access pipeline at Standing Rock to the ongoing protests against the police training center dubbed “Cop City” in Atlanta, Georgia, which would require razing at least 85 acres of urban forest. 

I’ve written about Cop City here, here, here, here, and connected the dots here.

Hundreds of pages of FBI and State Department files released through the Freedom of Information Act over the last decade highlight an increasingly close relationship between law enforcement agencies and the fossil fuel industry.

The police exist to protect capital and property, not the people or planet. And they don’t even feel the need to hide that connection between cops and capital, as pointed out in this paragraph:

“…starting in late 2012, TransCanada began delivering its own briefing to local law enforcement agencies along the proposed pipeline route. The PowerPoint presentations, which included profiles of organizers at 350.org, Rainforest Action Network, and Tar Sands Blockade, encouraged law enforcement to pursue federal anti-terrorism charges in conjunction with the FBI.”

And near the article’s end is this “…however, actions targeting fossil fuel infrastructure continue to pop up across the country.” 

Things will continue to escalate as the powerful elite try to ram more fossil fuel projects through. But, there are more of us than them and we’re on the right side in this fight to defend the wellbeing of people and planet.

If you’ve read this far, thank you. Solidarity!